Unethical online bike shops

[stevieg8]

With the number of products listed on an online store and the human element of data capture, this is very likely a mistake rather than unethical practice. An intern tasked with linking product with images most likely didnt know the difference  between products or there could have been a cache issue on the CDN. Either way , get a grip not everyone is out to get you. 

[stevieg8]

12 hours ago, Thomo said:

As I have it, you could find online items in store, but not necessarily store items online.

Apparently they operate "independently".

As for Steven, he still tries to provide old fashioned LBS service. ????

@Thomo When a bricks and mortar store links their in store ERP to eComm , not necessarily having a separate warehouse for online stock (because it costs a lot to store that stock and not have it for sale physically), they usually   set buffers to not list product low on stock that could potentially be sold out in store. This minimises the possibility of not being able to fulfill an online order in the case where it may sell out. That could be the reason why some in store product is not listed online.

This is my experience in the industry and may explain why.

[Steady Spin]

“unethical” ????

[ACE Cycles]

On 7/26/2021 at 5:01 PM, DieselnDust said:

you should try bike parts...

Mark up has gone up from 50% on parts to 70% or thereabouts.

Blaming high shipping costs or the distributors when in fact the retail mark up is higher to still make overheads off lower sales. The cycle is a race to the bottom

I can only speak for myself here, but my mark up % remains the same. Cost is up 50% and demand up 200%

[Mountain Bru]

4 hours ago, ACE Cycles said:

I can only speak for myself here, but my mark up % remains the same. Cost is up 50% and demand up 200%

If your percentages are correct, you should push your prices up ????

It's not unethical for a business to charge as much as possible when selling something. Different story if you're selling to your mates, or your "mates" on bikehub, but as a business, your goal is to make money. We have this delusion that selling price needs to be related to cost price by some kind of "fair percentage", when in reality the selling price is determined by what people are willing to pay for something and the demand for it. What is costs to manufacture is largely irrelevant, provided that you're selling the thing for more than it costs to manufacture and you're happy with your margin. 

(Someone told me once that the one of these "cheap" clothing stores like Factorie or Cotton On (can't remember which one) got their T-Shirts for a cost price of something like R10 a few years ago. And then sells them for R100. And we all think it's a "cheap T-Shirt" because in our minds, R100 for a T-Shirt is cheap. It never occurs to us that there's a 900% markup on the thing (The guys could have got his numbers wrong though))  

[Eddy Gordo]

1 hour ago, Mountain Bru said:

If your percentages are correct, you should push your prices up ????

It's not unethical for a business to charge as much as possible when selling something. Different story if you're selling to your mates, or your "mates" on bikehub, but as a business, your goal is to make money. We have this delusion that selling price needs to be related to cost price by some kind of "fair percentage", when in reality the selling price is determined by what people are willing to pay for something and the demand for it. What is costs to manufacture is largely irrelevant, provided that you're selling the thing for more than it costs to manufacture and you're happy with your margin. 

(Someone told me once that the one of these "cheap" clothing stores like Factorie or Cotton On (can't remember which one) got their T-Shirts for a cost price of something like R10 a few years ago. And then sells them for R100. And we all think it's a "cheap T-Shirt" because in our minds, R100 for a T-Shirt is cheap. It never occurs to us that there's a 900% markup on the thing (The guys could have got his numbers wrong though))  

Sounds about right. I know some clothing manufacturers put as much as 1000% markup on their goods pushing prices well over R1000 and people buy without blinking.

[RABUBI]

Last year with the Lockdown sales on the online shops I found a good deal on a Full carbon Cannondale at cyclelab. 

Ordered, paid, etc.

later when I followed seems they did not have the bike in stock anymore and it was actually an alu bike. offered me some shitty deal on another donkey they could not sell

According to the slightly helpfull person I spoke to, it was wrong spec in the detail spec list and there were many errors. Feedback from them was they get the spec lists from the suppliers and just load on the online shop.

I asked them for a refund, and will never return.

[PygaSchmyga]

On 7/26/2021 at 4:24 PM, Muddy said:

I understand that times are tough for EVERYONE but why do bike shops feel that it is OK to use unethical behavior on their online shops?

I was just browsing and I landed on Cycle Lab. I looked at they bikes and saw that they advertised a bike for what seems to be a very good price when you look at the pic. 1x11 drive train with hydraulic disc brakes. Scrolling down to the specs you realize that it is a 3x7 with mechanical brakes. It is not a difficult product pic to get as I found with a 30sec Google so why use an unrelated, clearly upspec'd picture for illustration purposed only when you are not trying to #@$ the uneducated? 

And then WHY do these unethical businesses make it though the pandemic when hard working honest business owners have to shutdown. Just does not seem right to me. Oh and before the Cycle Lab fans start, yip I will spend my money somewhere else, I'm just sad for those who get F'd over by them because, if they think it is OK to do this imagine what else they will do.

jeez, maybe they just made a mistake?  Take a chill pill.  I'm not the biggest CL fan, but I'm sure they don't sit around and plan to deceive you with malignant intent while you shop around for cheap bargains?

[Spinnekop]

39 minutes ago, PygaSchmyga said:

jeez, maybe they just made a mistake?  Take a chill pill.  I'm not the biggest CL fan, but I'm sure they don't sit around and plan to deceive you with malignant intent while you shop around for cheap bargains?

Sure they don't plan it.

But they are LAZY and don't know their products.  You should have a fair good grip on what is on the bike vs what is adverised.  
For that they don't deserve the sale.

Last time I was in Sukkelab in Pretoria the dude tuned me that Pirelli does not manufacture a 28mm road tyre....."look at the box sir......its says so"

My *** frikkie......

Edited July 29, 2021 by Spinnekop

[DonatelloOnPinarello]

I think this is a very liberal application of the term “Unethical”…… 

[Mountain Bru]

 

3 hours ago, Spinnekop said:

Sure they don't plan it.

But they are LAZY and don't know their products.  You should have a fair good grip on what is on the bike vs what is adverised.  
For that they don't deserve the sale.

Last time I was in Sukkelab in Pretoria the dude tuned me that Pirelli does not manufacture a 28mm road tyre....."look at the box sir......its says so"

My *** frikkie......

It's the same at most shops though when it comes to buying "exercise" stuff.

The lady selling shoes at sportsmans warehouse/ total sports has never run a km in her life

The dude selling hiking bags at cape union/outdoor warehouse/trappers has never carried a bag up a mountain

They're just paid sales staff that can assist you with stock or whatever, and maybe know some of the specs of what they have on the floor, but they're not experts, so don't expect them to be. If you're asking the "clearly not a runner" lady at sportsman's warehouse if you should buy asics or solomon trail runners, I think you're the clown, not her. 

Same at cycle lab. Some of the staff aren't cyclists, so don't ask them for "expert advice". In my experience though, if you ask for assistance from the guys that are actually cyclists, you can get some pretty great service. I was looking at lights the other day when a dude asked if he can assist me. I asked him for advice on lumens or something, and the dude just said he's not sure, but he'll call someone that knows all about these things, and he got a dude that just finished the munga to come share his experience on what to look for in a light. A+ service in my opinion.  

[Danger Dassie]

On 7/28/2021 at 7:32 AM, ACE Cycles said:

I can only speak for myself here, but my mark up % remains the same. Cost is up 50% and demand up 200%

Yip, and that's an MU on a good day. Some folk, even pre-apocalypse, were/are undercutting by selling at cost plus 10-15% 
Don't know of any retailers selling on a median at 70% MU, unless sourced from elsewhere or old/clearance stock.

[wildwindfr]

I work in the tyre industry. General markup is around 25% expensive tyres like Michelin and BFgoodridge is around 15%.

We have seen several price increases from Supliers after covid started. 

Some tyres now cost us more than what we use to sell it for.